Parents mourn slain teen

They are still waiting to see body of girl shot to death Saturday.

They are still waiting to see body of girl shot to death Saturday.

May 01, 2006|CHERYL JACKSON WSBT Reporter

SOUTH BEND -- "I'm very heartbroken that someone came and snatched my daughter's life," said Yvonne Fountain, mother of Ja-Vonda Dee Tharbs, 16, the teen who was shot to death early Saturday morning. Tharbs was at her sister's apartment, 3434 Putnam Place, in Beacon Heights, waiting for a ride from her mother. "My daughter was innocent," said Fountain. "She was just waiting to go to the after-prom." Fountain said she spoke with her daughter at about 12:35 a.m. Less than an hour later the girl was dead. "When I got there I was approached by a police officer," Fountain said. "He informed me that she had been shot and that she had expired, and I was very, very heartbroken." Fountain could not believe what she was hearing. "I had spoke to her and told her I was on my way to pick her up. When I got to the house tragedy struck." Friends and family describe Tharbs as funny and sweet. They say she had the same dreams as other girls her age. "All she wanted to do was make the cheerleading team," said friend Howard Broadway. "She made the team. She can't cheer. It hurts a lot." After not making the cheer squad at Washington High School last year, Tharbs worked hard, lost weight and it paid off. "She said, 'I'm going to cheer for Washington,'æ" Fountain said through sobs. "My baby wanted to be a cheerleader." Tharbs would have cheered for the school next year. Tharbs' parents have an idea of who may have killed their daughter. "She expressed to me on the other day that someone approached her," Fountain said. "He threatened her." Fountain said that a boy from school told Tharbs to stay away from a certain part of town. "I believe that it's certain people and it designated that they can't come to certain sides of town," Fountain said. She said her daughter told the boy "that she could go wherever she wanted to go." Tharbs' father said the tragedy is made worse because they still have not laid eyes on their dead daughter. "Here it is Sunday," said Alfernando Tharbs. "It happened Friday night, and I still haven't seen my daughter." Alfernando Tharbs said a police detective told him he'd be able to see his daughter after the autopsy. "He led me to believe that would be the next day or so." "She's a sweet girl," said Alfernando Tharbs. "She'd try to get mad at people but she just can't." Ja-Vonda Tharbs was nicknamed "Kissy." "It fit her well because she loved to hug and kiss people," said Fountain. "She didn't believe in violence whatsoever." Alfernando Tharbs says he will miss his daughter's smile.